a. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to steps for pick-up trucks, sport utility vehicles (“SUVs”) and other such vehicles, and more particularly, to a retractable tailgate step assembly for facilitating access to the cargo storage area of a vehicle.
b. Description of Related Art
As is known in the art, vans, SUVs, trucks, and other such vehicles commonly include a cargo bed or similar area for storing and transporting large items that would not otherwise fit in typical sedan sized automobiles. Access to cargo beds onboard vans, SUVs, trucks having bed covers, and other similar vehicles is limited when compared to pickup trucks since users cannot reach over the cargo bed sidewalls to access the cargo bed. With increasing versatility and payloads, even pickup truck cargo beds have become relatively difficult to access because cargo beds and their respective sidewalls are placed higher from ground level. Many users of cargo beds are limited to the tailgate area when manipulating the contents of the cargo bed. Loading and unloading objects into such vehicles can be difficult, especially if the object is heavy or elongated.
In an effort to make loading, unloading, and manipulation of objects in vehicle cargo beds easier, the art includes a variety of retractable tailgate steps that are most commonly stowed in or along vehicle tailgates.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,264,253 to Cummings discloses a truck tailgate step that folds into a slideable rack system and is mounted both internally and externally to a vehicle tailgate. Once the tailgate is in a horizontal position, the tailgate step slides away from its stowed position within the tailgate by use of a guide rail bracket 16. The step is then rotated about hinge 30 into a generally vertical position for a user of the cargo bed. Since Cummings discloses a retractable tailgate step that extends from a side of the tailgate, like most steps in the art, it is likely that the horizontal tailgate will obstruct the view of the deployed step when the user, or one of several users, is standing on an opposite side of the tailgate. This scenario creates a hazardous situation in which the user fails to realize that the tailgate step is deployed and attempts to shut the tailgate, thus resulting in potential structural damage to the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,261,357 to Bechen discloses a similar tailgate ladder apparatus that extends from the interior of a tailgate to a position perpendicular to the tailgate. The Bechen tailgate ladder also rotates to a deployed position once pulled outwards from the side of the tailgate. Bechen, like Cummings, fails to disclose any feature that would prevent inadvertent harm from attempting to close the horizontal tailgate while the tailgate ladder apparatus is deployed. Further, the design of the tailgate ladder apparatus in the stowed position is revealed in FIG. 3 of Bechen and appears to consume a majority of the length of the internal tailgate cavity. Such an arrangement is not ideal when considering the packaging of tailgate latch components, storage containers, deployable ramps, etc.
In another exemplary tailgate step, U.S. Pat. No. 6,905,158 to Bastian teaches a tailgate pocket step that is inserted into an opening in the tailgate. Instead of at least one support arm extending from the tailgate, the pocket step is formed from a substantially planar plate 310 having at least one hinged platform 360 that is integral with the plate. The platform is coplanar with the plate when stowed inside the tailgate, and rotates outward from the plate when deployed to provide a step. The pocket step disposed on the side of the tailgate poses the same threat, as mentioned above, to bystanders and the vehicle body when a user inadvertently attempts to close the tailgate with the pocket step deployed. In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the pocket step is disposed along the trailing edge of the tailgate when the tailgate is in an open position. Though this arrangement would better prevent inadvertent tailgate closings since the deployed step is more visible, the arrangement is not ideal for ingress/egress to the cargo bed. A user standing on either pocket step in FIG. 13 obstructs access to and from the cargo bed, especially when loading and unloading wide objects that extend across the width of the cargo bed.
Such deficiencies in current technology make it desirable to provide a safe and robust tailgate step that would ideally guard against inadvertent closing of the tailgate when the tailgate step is deployed. The step would also grant maximum ingress and egress to the cargo bed for loading and unloading objects. It is further desirable for the tailgate step to compactly stow within or along the tailgate to prevent interference with other tailgate features.